Live Review: The Superjesus, Violetine

Melbourne trio Violetine released a great debut album, Small Speaker Joyland, in 1998. Sadly, the LP never achieved the recognition or sales that it deserved, and the band disappeared within a few years of its release. This rare reunion tour brought band members Glenn Lewis and Sean Miljoen and Andy Strachan back together and also promoted the release of ‘new’ material in the form of unreleased demos and desk mixes from 2000, Missed The Start. Show opener Fuzzanova brought memories flooding back of the band’s appearances on earl morning TV (ABC’s Recovery) and at sweaty gigs at the Holdfast Hotel in Adelaide’s south. Despite not having performed for a long time, the trio sounded tight and the set was warmly received by the small crowd. Their should-have-been-hit singles Birmingham, You Know and Any Day were slices of fuzzed-up perfection. Hearing these songs again was a thrill.

The Superjesus was up next, commanding a decent turnout of both long-time fans and a few new recruits (judging by a later show of hands). Those present were treated to a loud show with plenty of grunt. Opener Shut My Eyes highlighted how beautifully singer Sarah McLeod’s voice has matured in the 20-odd years since the song’s release. The band line-up has changed a few times over the years, with only McLeod and bass player Stuart Rudd remaining from the original formation. Drummer Travis Dragani was impressive, as was his thick black beard, and guitarist Jason Slack played with plenty of precision and style. While McLeod is a charismatic frontwoman with a powerful voice, she does tend to ramble on while chatting with the crowd between songs. It’s all part of the charm of a Superjesus gig.

The Superjesus has been quite active since its reformation in 2012. The group recently released a new single, The Impossible (with a great film clip), and tonight heavily promoted their new double live album, Sumo 20 Live. As expected, it was the band’s string of radio-friendly songs that made them stand out from their peers and all sounded great tonight – Down Again in particular. The encore was capped off by a couple of covers, including a rocking version of Kylie Minogue’s Confide In Me and AC/DC’s Highway To Hell. Superb.